Overhead garage door



May 31, 1932. I w. D. FERRIS' 3 5 OVERHEAD GARAGE noon Filed July 25, 1950 2 sheets-Sheet 1 Wilda 711D. 1 127 720151 v May 31, 1932. w. D. FERRIS OVERHEAD GARAGE DOOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 25, 1930 EUBRZOP I MEI/ 97 7 135 rat-mint 31, 1932 NITED STATE-s PATENT *oFFicE .WILLIAM 1). reams, orsrnRLmG, rumors nssrenon To insure MANUFAGTUBHTG co. or swan-Luvs, rumors, A CORZPGRATION'OF minors ovmmnan semen noon Application filed July 25,

struction whereby overhead springs are em-' ployed for assisting in the opening of the door, in combination with sheaves and levers cooperating therewith.

It is also an object to" provide certain details and features of construction and com-' binations tending to increase the general efficiency and the desirability of an overhead door of this particular character.

To these and other useful ends, the'invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings in which-- Fig. 1 is an inside elevation of a garage door construction embodying the principles :5 of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 22 in Fig. 1, showing the door in closed position, but in partially open position in dotted lines;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, with certain portions broken away for convenience of illustration, and showing the door in open position.

As thus illustrated, the invention comprises a normally vertically disposed door 1, which is rigid from top to'bottom and which is provided with wheeled hangers 2 that travel on horizontal tracks3 extending at right angles to the door, within the garage or other buildmg.

The levers or links tare disposed upright at opposite sides of the door, have their lower ends pivoted at 5 on the door, and have their upper ends pivoted at 6 on the brackets 7 that are secured to the sides of the door frame.

Overhead springs, or springs arranged adjacent the upper portion of the door, such as the coil springs 8, are connected at their upperends .to books or nails 9 supported on the door frame, or just inside the door frame, and these springs have their lower ends provided 1930. Serial No. 470,584.

with, flexible cords or other connections 10 that extend first around the sheaves 11 mount ed on the brackets 7, then upward and over the sheaves 12 that are also supported on said door to engage the door frame, when the door is moved into closed position, thereby to hold the door in closed position, or against outward displacement at its upper edge.

To open the door, all that is necessaryis f to push outward against the lower portion "of V the door, from the inside of the garage or other building, thereby gradually tilting the door into position to finally assume a horizontally open position, as shown in Fig; 3 of the drawings. During this opening movement of the door, the springs 8 contract and, through the connections 10, assist in raising the door into open position. When the door is closed, the springs 8 cushion the downward movement of the door, so that it will not close' with a slam, and so that it will exert but little weight on the person closing the door, just enough to permit the door to gradually move downward into closed position.

With the construction shown and described, it will be seen that the springs 8 have a normal position of less lifting leverage than after the door is swung outward a distance at its lower edge. In fact,,the minimum leverage is when the dooris in closedposition, and the same is substantiallly true when the door is in open position, whereby the position of maximum lifting leverage, for the springs, is when the door is substantially of approximately half way between. its open position and its closed position. In this way, the door is given an easy and quiet I opening movement, and a similar closing movement, without slamming or joltingand i at the same time very little effort is needed to'either. open or close the door, the springs I. acting on the door through the medium of the levers or controlling-means.

Thus it will be seen that the door 1 'is I in the p ane thereof, with its lower to be swung outwardly through the doorway,

directly from the closed position thereof, the

'door being supported and arranged to tilt outwardly directly from the normal vertical position thereof. The springs 8 act throughthe leverage of the arms 4 to assist in rawing the door into open position, and to cush ion the closing movement of the door. I

,What I claim .as my invention is 1. An overhead opening door, means forming a doorway, a door rig d from top to bottom and. normally disposed vertically in said doorway, overhead horizontal straight tracks disposed parallel with each other at opposite sides of the doorway, 1n-

' side the building, means on the upper portion of the door to engage said tracks, forming an overhead horizontal shifting axis of tilting movement for said door, which axis is always in the same horizontal plane, serving always to prevent the upper edge of the door from projecting outside of the vertical plane of the door, with the lower edge of the door free to swing outward through the doorway, directly from the closed position thereof, in the initial opening movement of the door, door controlling means. pivoted at fixed points at its lower end on the door, supporting means providing the upper end of said controlling means with a fixed horizontal axis of movement, below and parallel with said overhead axis, forming a lever fulcrum for the upper end of said controlling means, having spring means hitched at its lower end to the controlling means at a point below said fulcrum, the upper end of said spring means being fixed in position, thereby acting through the leverage of the controlling means to exert its tension upwardly on said door, whereby to assist in opening the door, and to cushion the closing of the door,

.said door when closed being held against vertical displacement in the plane thereof.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1, said controlling means comprising a pair of levers normally in vertically disposed position, at

opposite sides of the doorway, with the lower end.-;. of each lever pivoted on the lower portionfof the door, and with the upper end of each lever supported by said fulcrum, and said spring means comprising a pair of overhead springs connected at their lower. ends to the intermediate portions of said levers,

whereby the maximum leverage positionof the springsis substantially or approximately half way between the closed position and the open position or the door. 1

3. A structure as specified in claim 1, comd prising a flexible connection between the spring means andthe controlling means, and

sheaves engaging saidflexible connection,

whereby said spring means is held against gorted Wit straight tracks disposed lateral displacement, having on] I and contraction in a fixed straig t line.

I 4. A structure as specified in claim 1, said disposed at opposite sides of the doorway, eac lever having its lower end ivoted on the door and then per-end of each ever being supported by said fulcrum, and said spring means com rising a pair of coil springs supthe r upper ends in overhead xed position, a flexible connection from the lower end of each spring to one of said levers, the point of attachment of said flexible connection being on the intermediate portion of said leverage, between said fulcrum and the lower end of the lever, and sheaves engaging each flexible connection, whereby each spring is held against lateral displacement, and has only endwise extension and contraction in a fixed straight line.

5. .An overhead opening door, comprising means forming a doorway, a door rigid from top to bottom and normally disposed vertically in said doorway, overhead horizontal arallel with each other at opposite sides 0 the doorway, in- I side the building, means on the up r portion of the door to engage said tracks, orming an overhead horizontal shifting axis of tilting movement for said door, which axis is always in the same horizontal lane, serving always to prevent the upper e ge of the door from.

projecting outside the vertical plane of the door, with the lower edge of the door, free to swing outward through the doorwa directly from the closed position thereof, 1n the initial opening movement of the door, door controlling means pivoted at fixed points at its lower end on the door, supporting means providing the upper end of said controlling means with a fixed horizontal axis of move- I ment, below and parallel with said overhead axis, forming a lever fulcrum for the upper end of said controlling means, having spring means hitched at one end by cables each running over a stationary sheave to the controlling means at a point below said fulcrum, the other end of said 5 ring means bein fixed in position, thereby acting throng the leverage of the controlling means to exert its tension on said door, operative there- .by to assist in opening the door, and to cushion the closing of the door, said .door

when closed being held against vertical displacement in the plane thereof.

Specification signed this 21st day of July,

- WILLIAM D. FERRIS. 

